For Immediate Release
April 25, 2024
With the official launch of Uber in the province, MHA Jordan Brown (Labrador West) is calling on government to amend the Labour Standards Act to include contract or “gig” workers.
“All workers deserve protection and rights under the Labour Standards Act. This includes gig and contract workers,” said Brown. “Workers who appear at the touch of an app to deliver our dinner or drive us back home deserve to be treated fairly.”
Gig workers often have no benefits or job security, and face low pay, poor transparency and no coverage if they are injured at work.
Brown says workers across the country have described how they are having a tough time trying to make a living on the apps, despite working long hours. “Some workers, who may be students, newcomers or anyone, can get paid less than minimum wage for the hours of work.
“Gig workers and contract workers are not a new thing for government. We have services and industries that use these workers, and it has been far too long without ensuring that they can avail of the necessary resources,” said Brown.
“It’s not too late for government to make the right choice and take meaningful action so that all workers in our province can be protected under the Labour Standards Act.”
-30-
For further information, contact Stephanie Curran, Media Relations Manager, NDP Caucus at 330-0328(o), or stephaniecurran@gov.nl.ca